Sealer for foodstuff packages

ABSTRACT

A device for sealing foodstuff packages and other bags using channel-shaped staples, comprising an operation lever for moving a driver, a staple guide plate and a clincher arm plate. When a bag is inserted in a bag receiving section and the operation lever is operated, the driver moves forward to rotate the staple guide plate, which, in turn, closes the bag receiving section and forms parallel staple guide grooves. The driver also pushes out a staple. And then, by further operation of a handle, the staple pushed out by the driver contacts the bag and then reaches a staple bending groove where it is bent to seal the bag.

United States Patent 1191 Takeda Apr. 9, 1974 SEALER FOR FOODSTUFFPACKAGES 3,381,359 5/1968 Schroeder 29/212 1) [75] n ent Se a Takasaki,Jap 3,383,746 5/1968 Narduzzl 53/138 A [73] Assignee: Max Co., Ltd.,Tokyo lapan Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence: Smith Assistant Examiner-J. C.Peters [22] Flled 1971 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodlhams, Blanchard and[21] Appl.No.:194,292 1 Flynn [30] Foreign Application Priority Data[57] ABSTRACT Nov. 5 1970 Japanmt. 45-97442 A device for Sealingfoodstuff Packages and other bags Nov. 7 1970 Japan 45-1 l068l[U] Singchannel-Shaped Staples comprising an operation lever for moving adriver, a staple guide plate and a 52 us. c1 29/243.57, 53/138 Aclincher arm P when a bag is inserted in a bag 51 Int. Cl B23p 11/00,B65p 51/04 Ceiving Section and the operatiml lever is Operated 58 Fieldof Search 29/243.57, 243.56, 212 D; the driver moves forward to rotatethe Staple guide 53/138 A plate, which, in turn, closes the bagreceiving section and forms parallel staple guide grooves. The driver[56] References Cited also pushes out a staple. And then, by furtheropera- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion of a handle, the staple pushed out bythe driver contacts the bag and 'then reaches a staple bending 33 aggis;groove where it is bent to seal the bag. ean.... 3,583,056 6/1971 Klenz29/243.57 10 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PATENIEDAPR 9:924 3.802.054

' sum 1096 I N VEN TOR.

6.5/20 TAWED/l Mia M W PATENTEUAPR 91874 3302.054

SHEETUUFG FIG. 9' E IO "LIX \o FIG. IO

FIG.

INVENTOR. JZ/Zd 774/604 MENTEUAPR 9 1974 3802.054

SHEET 5 BF 6 FIG. I2 69 INVENTOR. JflZd TAU/04 PATENTEUAPR 9 I974 SHEETE OF 6 INVENTOR. 15272. 6 734/! SEALER FOR FOODSTUFF PACKAGES 1. FieldOf The Invention The present invention relates to a device for sealingfoodstuff packages and other bags by pushing out a channel-shaped stapleby a driver and deforming it under pressure.

2. Description Of The Prior Art conventionally, rubber bands, vinyltapes, heat seals and the like have been used as a sealing device ofthis kind. However, these conventional devices have such drawbacks thatthey can not perfectly prevent leaks, that they are notefficient, thatthey require certain skill in handling or that they require expensiveequipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved sealer for bags byovercoming theabove-described drawbacks through the use of the technology of thepaper-stapling machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of asealer according to the present invention, with a part thereof brokenaway.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the principal part of the sealer.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are the views showing the operating condition of thesealer.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line VIVI of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a clincher section.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a sealed bag, with a part thereof brokenaway.

FIG. I] is a plan view of another embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a side-elevational view of a sealer provided with a magazineaccording to still another embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the principal part of the same.

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross section of the same.

FIG. 15 is a partially broken away, exploded perspective view showingthe same device from which the magazine is removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The structure of the device according to thepresent invention will now be described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which several embodiments thereof are shown.A-machine body 2 is detachably mounted on a base plate 1. To thismachine body 2 is movably attached an operation lever 5 for moving adriver 4 through a link mechanism 3. Also on its surface is removablymounted a magazine 6 for accommodating channel-shaped staples A, and thelower end of said magazine 6 opens into a driver groove 7 through whichthe driver 4 slides. Furthermore, an L- shaped clincher arm plate 8 isfixed to and projects from the front end of the machine body 2 to form abag receiving section 9 opening out on one side. Reference numeral 10designates a clincher or anvil attached to the clincher arm plate 8, anda staple bending groove 11, which inclines and forms an angular crosssection as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, is provided in said clincher10. One end of a setting lever 12 is formed into a forked resilientmember to hold a pin 13 which, in turn, is slidably passed through acircular hole 10a made in the clincher. At the same time, the centralportion, of said lever 12 is pivoted to the. clincher arm plate 8 bymeans of a shaft 14, and one end of a spring 15 wound around said shaftis connected to the head of said pin 13 and the other end thereof to theclincher 10. At the other end of said lever 12 is formed an engagingmember 12b which engages with a pin 17 studded at one end to aconnecting plate 16. At the other end of the connecting plate 16 isformed a down-bent stopper 16a with which a wing 18a, one of the twowings 18a and 18b protruding under and on both sides of the driver 4,engages. Reference numeral 19 designates a staple guide plate whose oneend is pivoted to the machine body 2 by means of a shaft 20. And thelower inner edge of said plate 19 is bent downward to form a bent guidemember 21 which is engaged with a roller 22 rotatably pivoted to saidwing 18b below the driver 4. On the other end of the plate 19 is fixed aguide block member 23. On the side of this guide block member 23 is madea hole 24 through which the pin 13, which passes through and projectsfrom the circular hole 10a in said clincher 10, is passed. On the innerside of said member 23 and on the side of the bag receiving section 9 ofthe clincher arm plate 8 are formed staple guide grooves 25 and 25 bothleading to the driver groove 7. Said grooves 25 and 25 are formed insuch a manner that the inner edges 19a and 8a of the staple guide plate19 and clincher arm plate 8, respectively, protrude therefrom. Referencenumerals 26 and 27 designate springs.

Now the following paragraphs will describe the operative phases of thisinvention. For sealing a bag, particularly the one containing someliquid, the mouth portion of the bag B is inserted from the side intothe bag receiving section 9 and kept in place, and then the operationlever 5 is turned in the direction of the arrow to cause the driver 4 toadvance through the link mechanism. At this time the roller 22 on thewing 18b slides while pressing the guide member 21 on the staple guideplate 19. This causes said guide plate 19 to rotate about the shaft 20against the force of the spring 26, thereby closingthe bag receivingsection 9 (see FIG. 4). On the other hand, as the other wing 18a movesforward with the advance of the driver 4, the stopper 16a on theconnecting plate 16 is released, the setting lever 12 is rotated by theelasticity of the spring 15 through the pin 13, and the engaging member12b pushes the pin 17 to move the connecting plate 16 to the left asillustrated in FIG. 5. With the rotation of the setting lever 12, thepin 13 slides through the circular hole 10a in the clincher 10 toproject its tip therefrom and into the hole 24 in the guide block member23 on the staple guide plate 19 which has by that time rotated to theclosing position, thereby fixing said guide plate 19 in the sameposition and forming the parallel and linear staple guide grooves 25 and25'. On the other hand, the driver 4 breaks off the lowest staple A fromthe bar of staples contained in the magazine 6 and causes it to slidethrough the driver groove. The staple A further slides through thestaple guide grooves 25 and 25 as the driver moves forward, withoutbreaking through the bag which is held by the inner edges 19a and 8a ofthe staple guide plate and clincher arm plate, respectively, protrudinginwards from the staple guide grooves and 25. The staple A then contactsthe bag B disposed in the bag receiving section 9 and further proceedswhile compressing the latter until it reaches the stapler bending groove11 provided in the clincher 10 where both legs A and A of the staple Aare bent along the inclined surface thereof, whereby the legsstaggeringly hold the bag B between them without contacting with eachother. By applying further pressure, the staple bitingly twists the bagB from both sides and thereby completes sealing as illustrated in FIG.10 (also see FIG. 6). By releasing the operation lever 5, the driver 4moves back because of the force of the spring 27, whereby the connectingplate 16 is withdrawn to the right, the pin 13 draws back with therotation of the setting lever 12 and the staple guide plate 19 rotatesdue to the elasticity of the spring 26 to open the bag receivingsection, thereby completing the setting for a subsequent sealingoperation.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the base end of a staple guideplate 41 is pivoted to the machine body 2 by a pin 42 and a link 43 isalso pivoted near said base end with the other end of said link 43 beingpivoted to a pusher 44. To this pusher 44 is attached a shaft 45 passingslidably through a pusher holder 46 and fitted with a washer 47. And aspring 48 is provided between the washer 47 and the rear end of thepusher holder 46 to apply a force to pull the pusher 44 toward the left.By engaging the pusher 44 with a wing of a driver 49 so that the advanceof the pusher 44 is thereby checked, the pusher moves to the leftbecause of the elasticity of the spring 48 when the driver 49 advanceswith the rotation of the operation lever. And then the staple guideplate 41 rotates through the link 43 about the pin 42 to close a bagreceiving section 51. On the completion of sealing, the driver 49withdraws and its wing 50 causes the pusher 44 to retreat against theforce of the spring 48, whereby the staple guide plate 41 is rotated toopen the bag receiving section 51.

Since the device according to the present invention is constructed andoperated as described above and because of the wide opening in the bagreceiving section, it makes it possible not only to smoothly insert andremove the bag thereinto and therefrom but also to keep the bag in thepredetermined sealing position by holding the same by closing the stapleguide plate. Also, the tracks of the staple guide groove which areparallel and straight enable the swift and light movement of the staple.The opening and closing of the staple guide plate and the cutting-offand driving of the staple are all achieved by only rotating theoperation handle, whereby the sealing operation is effected continuouslyand automatically. In addition, the bag is perfectly water-tightlysealed by staple without being damaged by the projected inner edges ofthe staple guide plate and clincher arm plate during the inserting,sealing and removing operations.

FIG. 12 and other succeeding drawings illustrate still anotherembodiment of the staple magazine 6.

The base plate 1, machine body 2, driver 4, driver groove 7 and stapleguide groove 25 are the same as those described in the foregoingembodiments. Reference numeral 61 designates a delivery hole provided byperforating square the body 2 above the driver groove 7 in order to sendout the staple into the groove 7. At

the opposite sides of the square hole 61 are protruded stop projections62 and 62'. Item 63 is a magazine holder which is a resilient tubularbody with a square cross-section and a longitudinal slot 64. The twoadjoining sides of the holder 63 swell inwards to form small projections65 and 65', while the lower end of one side thereof is extended and bentto form a fitting member 66 adapted to be fixed at one side of a hole 68made, immediately above the delivery hole 61, in a guide plate 67mounted on the body 2. Item 69 is a chute-like magazine for accomodatingstaples, channel-shaped in section. On its inside is provided a stapleguide 70, which is also channel-shaped in section, with its one side 70being fixed to one side 69 of the magazine 69 so that a bar ofchannel-shaped staples A may be accommodated in a space 71 between themagazine 69 and the staple guide 70. The opposite lower ends of saidmagazine 69 are provided with channel-shaped notches 72 and 7 2, whilethe adjoining two sides of the same swell outwards, near the lower end,to form small projections 73 and 73 protruding outwards.

The magazine is installed in the following manner. When the magazine 69is inserted from above into the magazine holder 63 until its tipreaches, beyond the small projections 65 and 65' and through the hole68, the delivery hole 61 in the body 2, the notches 72 and 72 at thelower end of the magazine 69 come into engagement with the stopprojections 62 and 62' in the delivery hole 61. Then said smallprojections 65 and 65 and the small projections 73 and 73 on themagazine 69 exert such forces as to expand the magazine holder 63 sothat the magazine 69 may be firmly held by the elasticity of the holder,thereby accomplishing the assembly. For loading a bar of staples A, itis inserted into the space 71 from the top of the magazine 69, and thenit drops into place due to its own weight. When a staple A is sent outby the operation of the driver 4, the remaining bar of staples A dropsinto the driver groove 7 due to its own weight for the delivery of thenext staple.

According to this embodiment, the device can be made compact forcarrying convenience because the magazine 69 is detachable from the body2. When the magazine 69 is installed, the lower end thereof does notproject into the driver groove 7 in such a manner as to prevent theoperation of the driver 4, since it is engagedly disposed above thedelivery hole 61. In addition, the magazine holder 63 accurately guidesthe magazine 69 to the delivery hole 61, and the small projections onthe holder 63 and magazine 69 expand the tubular holder so that themagazine 69 is firmly held due to the action of elasticity. So themagazine is securely engaged and held without coming off even if it issubjected to vibration or contact with any other article during thesealing operation. The staple A is automatically supplied to the drivergroove 7 without requiring the installation of any particular equipment,since it drops into place due to its own weight. Furthermore, it ispossible to watch the consumption of staples, thereby preventing theblank driving, since one side of the magazine 69 is cut open. As isevident from the above, this invention offers various excellent results.

The foregoing are only illustrative, and the present invention is by nomeans limited thereto.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A device for securing the mouth of a bag, as by deforming a stapletherearound, comprising:

frame means including a bag receiving section having a notch adapted toreceive therein the mouth of a bag, said section having a staple guidegroove formed therein along the bottom of said notch; anvil meansmounted on said frame means adjacent one side of said notch for coactingwith a staple for deforming same;

driver means for driving a staple into said notch and into engagementwith said anvil means, said driver means including a plunger slidablymounted on said frame means for movement toward and away from said anvilmeans;

staple guide means swingably mounted on said frame means and swingablebetween open and closed positions, said guide means including a guideportion disposed for closing the open side of said notch when said guidemeans is in said closed position, said guide portion having a stapleguide groove formed therein, which is substantially parallel to andspaced directly opposite the staple guide groove on said bag receivingsection when said guide means is in said closed position;

locking means coacting between said guide means and said frame means forfixedly interconnecting same when said guide means is in said closedposition, said locking means including a movable locking member; and

actuating means coacting between said drive means and said lockingmember for moving said locking member to a locking position forpositively holding said guide means in said closed position when saidplunger is being moved toward said anvil means.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said locking member isslidably supported on said anvil means, and wherein said guide means hasrecess means formed therein and adapted to receive therein an end ofsaid locking member when said guide means is in said closed position andsaid locking member is in said locking position, whereby said lockingmember positively mechanically locks said guide means relative to saidanvil means.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said actuating means includesmeans responsive to movement of said plunger toward said anvil means forcausing movement of said locking member to said locking position.

4. A device according to claim 3, further including coupling meanscoacting between said plunger and said guide means for automaticallycausing swinging of said guide means toward said closed position whensaid plunger is moved toward said anvil means.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said locking member comprisesa pinlike member slidably supported relative to said frame means, andsaid actuating means including movable linkage means drivingly connectedbetween said plunger and said pinlike member for moving same.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said pinlike member isslidably supported on said anvil means and disposed for engaging saidguide-means when same is in said closed position, and said movablelinkage means including an actuating lever disposed in engagement withsaid pinlike member and a motion transfer link connected between saidlever and said plunger for causing movement of said pinlike member inresponse to displacement of said plunger.

7. A deviceaccording to claim 6, wherein said mo tion transfer link andsaid plunger have cooperating en gageable stops formed thereon andpositioned so that the stop on said plunger engages the stop on saidmotion transfer link upon movement of said plunger away from said anvilmeans for causing said pinlike member to be moved away from said lockingposition, and said actuating means further including spring meanscoacting with said pinlike member for normally resiliently urging sametowards said locking position.

8. A device according to claim 6, further including coupling meanscoacting between said guide means and said plunger for causing swingingmovement of said guide means into said closed position in response tomovement of said plunger toward said anvil means.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said guide portion and saidbag receiving section each have a pair of projecting edges disposed onopposite sides of and projecting outwardly from the respective stapleguide groove, said edges being adapted to clamp the mouth of the bagtherebetween while enabling the staple to be slidably moved intosurrounding relationship to the mouth of the bag without penetrating thebag.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein said driver means includes amanually swingable actuating lever pivotally mounted on said frame meansand coupled to said plunger for causing linear reciprocating movement ofsaid plunger in response to angular oscillation of said actuating lever.

1. A device for securing the mouth of a bag, as by deforming a stapletherearound, comprising: frame means including a bag receiving sectionhaving a notch adapted to receive therein the mouth of a bag, saidsection having a staple guide groove formed therein along the bottom ofsaid notch; anvil means mounted on said frame means adjacent one side ofsaid notch for coacting with a staple for deforming same; driver meansfor driving a staple into said notch and into engagement with said anvilmeans, said driver means including a plunger slidably mounted on saidframe means for movement toward and away from said anvil means; stapleguide means swingably mounted on said frame means and swingable betweenopen and closed positions, said guide means including a guide portiondisposed for closing the open side of said notch when said guide meansis in said closed position, said guide portion having a staple guidegroove formed therein which is substantially parallel to and spaceddirectly opposite the staple guide groove on said bag receiving sectionWhen said guide means is in said closed position; locking means coactingbetween said guide means and said frame means for fixedlyinterconnecting same when said guide means is in said closed position,said locking means including a movable locking member; and actuatingmeans coacting between said driver means and said locking member formoving said locking member to a locking position for positively holdingsaid guide means in said closed position when said plunger is beingmoved toward said anvil means.
 2. A device according to claim 1, whereinsaid locking member is slidably supported on said anvil means, andwherein said guide means has recess means formed therein and adapted toreceive therein an end of said locking member when said guide means isin said closed position and said locking member is in said lockingposition, whereby said locking member positively mechanically locks saidguide means relative to said anvil means.
 3. A device according to claim1, wherein said actuating means includes means responsive to movement ofsaid plunger toward said anvil means for causing movement of saidlocking member to said locking position.
 4. A device according to claim3, further including coupling means coacting between said plunger andsaid guide means for automatically causing swinging of said guide meanstoward said closed position when said plunger is moved toward said anvilmeans.
 5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said locking membercomprises a pinlike member slidably supported relative to said framemeans, and said actuating means including movable linkage meansdrivingly connected between said plunger and said pinlike member formoving same.
 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said pinlikemember is slidably supported on said anvil means and disposed forengaging said guide means when same is in said closed position, and saidmovable linkage means including an actuating lever disposed inengagement with said pinlike member and a motion transfer link connectedbetween said lever and said plunger for causing movement of said pinlikemember in response to displacement of said plunger.
 7. A deviceaccording to claim 6, wherein said motion transfer link and said plungerhave cooperating engageable stops formed thereon and positioned so thatthe stop on said plunger engages the stop on said motion transfer linkupon movement of said plunger away from said anvil means for causingsaid pinlike member to be moved away from said locking position, andsaid actuating means further including spring means coacting with saidpinlike member for normally resiliently urging same towards said lockingposition.
 8. A device according to claim 6, further including couplingmeans coacting between said guide means and said plunger for causingswinging movement of said guide means into said closed position inresponse to movement of said plunger toward said anvil means.
 9. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein said guide portion and said bagreceiving section each have a pair of projecting edges disposed onopposite sides of and projecting outwardly from the respective stapleguide groove, said edges being adapted to clamp the mouth of the bagtherebetween while enabling the staple to be slidably moved intosurrounding relationship to the mouth of the bag without penetrating thebag.
 10. A device according to claim 1, wherein said driver meansincludes a manually swingable actuating lever pivotally mounted on saidframe means and coupled to said plunger for causing linear reciprocatingmovement of said plunger in response to angular oscillation of saidactuating lever.